Oops..got me a new vinyl set up on a whim..

Whilst we appear to be in vinyl mode..
One glass of wine too many....and...
..just won an old (1980) LP12 with Rega R200 arm (?) on eBay. It seemed V cheap so it's probably a duffer..but then again..maybe not..
got an un-named AT cartridge.
What do I do now? How do I know if it's OK or not? Take it to a dealer for a service? Any recommendations for a decent cartridge?
And there I was just about to tear my Dual to bits...

 

what you pay for it mate?
RB200, IIRC, is an old 'S' shaped Rega arm.
I would get it serviced and see what they say, probably OK mate, and better than what you have (not that i know what you have)
Cartridge is by the by i guess, can be easily replaced.
A good dealer/service place should be able to tell you of any mods that have been done to it.

How did you get on with the cable?

 

£260, which seemed a good deal.. I don't think there's any mods -described as such anyway.
What cable (you getting me mixed with ROB?!!).

Anyone know a good LP12 dealer on the South Coast?

 

Robs you done well there I rekon.

The LP12 although fashionable to bash on these forums does represent great VFM when you get it cheap.

Before he sends it request that the thrust plate and platter are removed, this is essential becuase if the thrust plate gets knocked in transit you will have a dead ducky.

Once its in your humble abode you can check it out. As with all decks it needs to be very level. However there are three distinct areas to the LP12 which always give different reading on level. I typically insure that the platter is smack on, and that the arm plate is dead level with the deck, this gives the best average.

Firstly put the thrust plate in, insuring there is sufficent oil, then place the platter on upside down. Start her up and you can see under to check the moters turning properly , that there is no slippage in the belt etc. Stop her and remove the platter and put it on correctly, check for bounce, by knocink the arm plate (Obviously we arn't playing records at this point!) If there is little bounce then the springs might want turning, this will also correct the arm board if its twisted.

Word of warning if it has a valhalla board underneath unplug it before attempting to turn the springs as you will get a nasty jolt (I have done this!) turning the springs is just that, you need access from underneath for this, turn them until you get a nice bounce and the arm board is straight. If it dips anywhere you can tightnen or loosing the offending spring.

As for the arm, well use it for now but I would get shot as soon as, mabye an RB300 will be better suited, also check the cart. In this area it would be well worth spending a few bob on a decent MM, as the one on it might well be knankered and will ruin your records.

Finnaly as for cleaning. well the main metal plate is a bitch. Clean with a soft yellow scourer (Such as a tescos value one) warm water and washing up liquid. Once dried apply the tiniest amount of baby oil to the surface to stop it blotching up, when I say tiny I mean it.

The platter if in original condition will be dull, leave it this way, do not be tempted to brasso it like I did as you have to polish the bloody thing every week. The wood on the outside I reccomend a product called Wheelers Tradional Beeswax Dark Furniture Cream, available from trewins, John Lewis, its only a couple of quid but brings the wood up a treat.

Manuals are avilable on line for the linn deck, i'll have a dig around.

 

Heres one: http://www.n.mackie.btinternet.co.uk/linn/ittok1.doc

 

Heres another: http://www.n.mackie.btinternet.co.uk/linn/ittok1.doc

 

Many thanks for the advice. The cleaning bit is much appreciated! Easy to get it badly wrong I suspect. I've got a copy of the set up manual, but thanks for these also.
I'm aiming to collect it rather than trust it to the good old Royal mail! Given that it's a couple of hours in the back of the car, should I still do as you suggest with the platter & thrust plate?

 

Good price.

If I was you, I'd find a nearby Linn dealer (or ex-Linn dealer) and spend £100 or so getting it serviced by somebody who knows exactly what they're doing. PFM'ers should be able to help.

-- Ian

 

Robs,
A very good deal and now a further 100ukp? to have someone give it an MOT and then tell you what is good, bad or ugly? IMHO a complete no-brainer - do it and put your mind at rest.

Auric

 

Regarding the arm,I,ve had the S shape Rega,while ok i found it nothing special,for a cheap upgrade get the rb250,and do the origin Live upgrade,it makes one hell of a difference.

 

When you pack it up you absolutely have to remove the outer platter and belt. These have a space in the base of the packaging under the turntable. It's then ideal to remove the inner platter, but for a car journey it would be OK just to lift the inner up on a piece of polystyrene. It's a bonus having the packaging, Linn charge you up to £100 for that, and it's essential to safe storage or transportation. You should also remove the arm counterweight and make sure that the arm is locked into its rest.

If, when you pick it up, you want to drop in on your way home I'll be happy to have a look at it. I have a collection of (free) old Linn bits that may help if anything is actually worn out or bent (including subchassis, springs, grommets, inner platter/bearing, motor etc.)

I would be very tempted to get it set up well, replace any parts that are actually knackered and then just use it. In the context of £262 any dealer service or upgrade will be expensive.

(You said 'south coast', turntable is in Warwick, I'm just off the M40 south of Warwick.)

Anyway I think you've got a bit of a classic there. Don't mess it up.

Paul

 

sorry robs, i did mean Rob

 

Many thanks for the very kind offer Paul. I'd like to take you up on it, but current plan is to meet half way (seller is already arranged to go that far for something else), so I won't be up that way.
I'll pass on the instructions for packing to him. Many thanks again.

No worries Penance! Sorry to hear of your EBay probs...hope you get it sorted OK (& my transaction doesn't end up in similar fashion..)

 

Picked it up yesterday. Got it home, unpacked & set the tracking weight quickly, plugged it in to make sure it goes round &...

Bloody Hell!

Spent yesterday afternoon giving it a quick once over, but not setting it up as such. It appears in really good nick. The bearing is sweet - the inner platter spins for minutes & no play. I changed the oil (it was low) for Halfords fully synthetic 5/40W (what I had available, & remember this is budgetland!). The arm is sweet & free too. The lid is unscratched & uncracked - almost perfect - & in better condition than my now redundant Dual one! The plinth had some slight marks where the lid makes contact at the front, & a very slight mark on the front, and the right hand top is a slightly lighter shade than the rest, but other than that is perfect - no dents or scratches at all. Cleaned & polished & the marks are almost unnoticeable. The motor spindle was a bit dirty, but cleaned up fine. The platter spins true & has cleaned up nicely. It was dull, so have given it the brasso treatment. Might try laquering over it? The felt mat is clean but the center hole a little oversize...(Is this all that is wrong?!). Have had a quick look underneath/inside, & apart from the dust, it appears untouched. All in all it was a bit dirty & dusty, but a quick clean up & it looks great.

And sounds fantastic!!

Many thanks for all the advice guys.

Oh, & here's a little piccie! (The mark I described on the front plinth is right in front of the Linn logo - can't really see it

 

Robs,
looking good - money well spent.

Auric

 

Press the 'IMG' button, enter the url you posted, etc etc etc.



I had to remove the options from the end of the url. They seem to mess vBulletin up.

PHP:

[IMG]http://mysite.freeserve.com/robs1/images/1-picture.jpg[/IMG]

Paul

 

Hello again Paul! Got it!! Too many numbers are always a a bad thing...Many thanks (& thanks again for your offer of checking it over - Thankfully, I don't think we'd have had much to replace if you had done so!)